Heart failure or not you are paying for it

Updated:Apr 29,2013

Whether or not you have heart failure, you’ll still have to pay part of the tab for the increasing costs of the condition.

By 2030, you — and every U.S. taxpayer — could be paying $244 a year for direct and indirect costs to care for heart failure patients, according to the American Heart Association. Indirect costs affect everyone, not just heart failure patients.

The association projects:

Costs to treat heart failure could more than double from $31 billion in 2012 to $70 billion in 2030.

The number of people with heart failure could climb 46 percent from 5 million in 2012 to 8 million in 2030 as the U.S. population ages.

The key to curbing expenses is to prevent the condition — treating underlying risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, smoking and heart disease. Improving treatment, access to care for the poor and minorities and insurance coverage could also curtail costs.

Having type 2 diabetes already puts you at an increased risk of developing CVD, such as heart attack or stroke. Use our Diabetes Health Assessment to learn your risk of developing CVD and print customized action plans to help you lower that risk.